New Ulm weekly review., 1887-12-07


INTER- STA E COMMERCE
Annual Report OF the Commission -Th.
Operation Of tho Law Quite Satisfactory,
on the Whole-Al tho Phases OF the Qaes-
tiGn Passed Upon. SS 5i5
WASHINGTON, Dec @ The Erst annual re-
| port Of the interstate commerce commission
! has been Laid before the secretary Of the in
terror. 1t is printed dOcumentof forty three
pages, and bears the signatures OF all
!, the commissioners The commission de-
| votes dozen pages tc a historic sketch OF
the country Is transportation facilities, from
the pack horse and canoe of the early DAYS
| to the mammoth institutions Of the present.
tracing back to their origin AN those griev-
ances and abuses which finally led to the
] passage Of the interstate act. Under the
heading 3The carriers subject to Its [the
| actsl Jurisdiction, = the commission says:
Some Of the railroad practices which the act
undertakes to bring to an end have been COM
/ ia themselves might justly be forbidden in their
case as well. 1t does not however int i'd to IN
I Innate an opinion that these things are common
/ The commission is Of the opinion that the ex-
1 press business done by the railroad companies
| themselves is within the act. Whether the
express companies which are independent
| Of the railroads are within the conteln pIation
| OF the act is more doubtful The sleeping car
companies. live stock car companies and oil com-
panies Whicn transport in tank cars. are as much
railroads are, and the fact is laid before congress
fer such action as it may choose to take in the
| premises.
The long and short haul clause is exhaust
lively discussed, together with the reasons Of
the commission for temporarily suspending
! the provision in certain sections, and they
cay, in part:
The considerations which were Influential in
determining when these temporary orders should
be granted were not more the relief Of the car
r1eTS from DANCER OF loss than the prevention Of
certain localities, which by Its reflex action
seemed liable 70 embarrass seriously the entire
country. In large sections OF the country
i obedience to the general rule Of the fourth
section Is without important exception.
w hile less has been done in the direction of
bringing the freight tariffs into conformity with
the general rule prescribed by the fourth section
than some persons expected, there has neverthe-
less been gratifying advance in that direction
ana ana there IS every reason to believe that This
\ =
DIMINISHED EVILS
The commission, after quoting that part Of
the twelfth sectlop which empowers 1T to
Sinquire into the business Of all common
carriers. says:
mission Will not hesitate to take action under it
| In any case in which mischief of public impor-
tance is thought to exist and which is not likely
TO be brought TO its attention on complaint of a
private prosecutor. There is every reason
to believe, however, that some of the
most serious evils which were notorious
IN the railway service before the passage OF
the act, and were in the legislative mind as
reasons tor its enactment have now almost
ceased to exist. One Of these was the giving Of
special and secret rebates Complaints Of un-
just discrimination and the giving of undue and
unreasonable preferences by the open rates are
frequent and it is not to be denied that in the
existing tariffs there are many rates which. as
compared with others made by the sama carriers,
seem to be unfair and oppressive. But even
as regards this species OF injustice the good
effecfs OF the aw are manifest. Being now COM
PEELED to justify their rates when called
on. makes managers moro cautious about doing
injustice. In majority of cases either the
complaiaanJ has been found to be mistaken in
his facts or If wrOnged. it has been through
carelessness or mismanagement. which the oar
r1er read1 corrected; or II the facts presented
case o. difference OF opinion, the parties, when
brought l. to communication. succeeded IN find
ing some basis for settlement without further
interruption. This method Of disclosing OF com
plants is believed by the commission TO be more
useful than any other, because It's tendency is
toward the establishment of desirable relations
between tho carrier and those who must be the
customer.
The reporr comments at some lenuth on
tbe nlan a,aonted hv rho com ,roissio,, ~ h.u
-. -, - -
:, -. eo.,,s.,i.,. - ~. ~
ha anoadi,v heord ,,;.to,t ~ a,d..af -,
vors T,ho co,,, ,,ss;o,, :, .,.o. ~ ~,
;tr - : nnisorn, ea;.,l,. .1.,a,s s.4,.-
-, .As SiaosinoaeioA 's
througnous the country. bu6 doubts The
ability to reach the matter bv legislation
while ,u;thout ~ tbora !. !, ,.rod,,o, ,,,r,a,,
$3.50" " ssA - :. :" = t'i'A oacA
10 uniformity erected bY Ghe railroads
themselves. Any commission appointed by
the rouarr,ra ant 'ro roolo ,,n;tnr,,, fro;,.,t
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